Sheep Growers convention is Sept. 29

September 21, 2007

BROOKINGS Ð The South Dakota Sheep Growers Association holds its 70th annual convention Sept. 29 in Lead. The event gets under way with 8 a.m. registration at the Golden Hills Resort in Lead. For lodging information, contact the resort at (605) 584-1800 and ask for “South Dakota Sheep Growers.” Lunch and banquet tickets are available at registration. Meetings begin at 9 a.m. when South Dakota State University Extension Sheep Specialist Jeff Held and SDSU Extension Beef Specialist Julie Walker discuss SDSU sheep research opportunities. Craig Hanson of the South Dakota Animal Industry Board follows at 9:15 a.m. with a look at the impact of the South Dakota sheep genotyping program. Sheep nutrition feedlot consultant Case Blom speaks at 10 a.m. on the feeder lamb transition from grass to grain. At 10:30 a.m. veterinarian Larry Holler of SDSU's Animal Disease Research and Diagnostic Laboratory talks about reducing feeder lamb stress and feedlot stress. At 11 a.m., Executive Director Peter Orwick of the American Sheep Industry Association provides a look at how Livestock Risk Protection, or LRP, can work for lamb producers. The 11:30 a.m. topic is a look at the Animal Damage Control program in South Dakota, with Emmett Keyser and Art Smith of the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Department's Wildlife Division. The South Dakota Master Lamb Producers recognition program takes place over the noon lunch. That's followed by a women's program and felting seminar at 1 p.m. American Sheep Industry Association wool consultant Bob Padula speaks at 1:45 p.m. about the wool quality improvement program. A look at American Lamb Board programs with ALB Executive Director Bo Donegan is set for 2:30 p.m. ASI Executive Director Peter Orwick follows at 2:45 p.m. with an American Sheep Industry update. President Lynn Perry leads the annual South Dakota Sheep Growers Association business meeting at 3:30 p.m. The social hour and auction begin at 5:30 p.m. A lamb banquet and the state “Make It Yourself with Wool” contest wrap up the day's events starting at 7 p.m.